Beverage production module and method for operating a beverage production module

ABSTRACT

A beverage production module includes a pump for delivering a fluid from a tank to an extraction chamber, a power source for the pump and a controller for operating the pump and for controlling the voltage applied from the power source to the pump, wherein the controller is adapted to operate the pump at a normal operation voltage (U 3 ) and to operate the pump over a predefined time (T 1,  T 2 ) at a reduced voltage level (U 1,  U 2 ). A method for operating the pump of a beverage production module is also provided.

PRIORITY CLAIM

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.14/568,853, filed Dec. 12, 2014, which is a continuation of U.S.application Ser. No. 12/673,059, filed May 25, 2011, now U.S. Pat. No.8,951,020 issued Feb. 10, 2015, which is a U.S. national stage filing ofInternational App. PCT/EP2008/060555, filed on Aug. 12, 2008, whichclaims priority to European Patent Application No. 07114608.8, filedAug. 20, 2007, the entire contents of which are being incorporatedherein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to the production of beveragesor liquid comestibles (soup, etc.). Preferably, the invention relates toproduction devices which are designed to produce a beverage on the basisof ingredients which are contained in a capsule. The capsule is insertedin the beverage production module which is provided with means tointroduce a liquid into the interior of the capsule. The interaction ofthe introduced liquid with the ingredients produces a beverage which canthen be obtained from the beverage production module.

BACKGROUND

As an illustrated example, such devices are already used, among others,in the field of coffee machines. Especially regarding coffee machinesthere is a wide range between relatively simple “one button” machines onone end of the range, and highly complex machines with integratedadditional functions, such as for example producing steam, prewarmingcups and/or ensuring a “flow stop” function, etc., at the higher end ofthe range.

Highly important tasks within the field of beverage production modulesare user friendliness and quality of the produced beverage.

SUMMARY

It is the object of the present invention to propose a beverageproduction module and a method for operating a beverage productionmodule which is user friendly and insures a good quality of the producedbeverage.

According to a first aspect the present invention relates to a beverageproduction module comprising a pump for delivering a fluid from a tankto a extraction chamber, a power source for the pump and a controllerfor operating the pump and for controlling the voltage applied from thepower source to the pump, wherein the controller is adapted to operatethe pump at a normal operation voltage level and to operate the pumpover a predefined time at a reduced voltage level.

According to one embodiment, the controller is adapted to operate thepump after the start at said reduced voltage level and after thepredefined time to operate the pump at said normal operation voltagelevel.

According to a further embodiment, the controller is adapted to operatethe pump at said normal operation voltage and during the operation tooperate the pump for the predefined time at said reduced voltage level.

In one aspect the reduced voltage level is a constant voltage.

In another aspect the reduced voltage level is a decreasing orincreasing voltage.

Preferably, the power source provides DC voltage to the pump.

The pump circuit can comprise a Buck-converter.

The pump circuit can alternatively comprise a motor chopper.

As an alternative to the provision of direct current, the power sourcecan provide alternating current AC voltage to the pump.

Preferably, the controller is adapted to operate the pump at a reducedvoltage level by decreasing the root mean square (RMS) value of theapplied voltage (and thus reducing the power).

Alternatively, the controller is adapted to operate the pump at areduced voltage level by decreasing the maximum applied voltage level.

The pump can be an inductive load.

According to a further aspect of the present invention a method isprovided for operating the pump of a beverage production module,comprising the steps of providing a power source for the pump,delivering via the pump a fluid from a tank to an extraction chamber andduring said step of delivering operating the pump at a normal operationvoltage level and operating the pump over a predefined time at a reducedvoltage level.

In a first embodiment the method comprises operating the pump after thestart at said reduced voltage level and operating after the predefinedtime the pump at said normal operation voltage.

In a second embodiment the method comprises operating the pump at saidnormal operation voltage and during the operation operating the pump forthe predefined time at said reduced voltage level.

Preferably, the method comprises providing for the reduced voltage levela constant voltage.

Alternatively, the method comprises providing for the reduced voltagelevel a decreasing or increasing voltage.

Preferably, the method comprises providing direct current DC voltage tothe pump.

The method can comprises providing a Buck-converter for the pumpcircuit.

Alternatively, the method can comprise providing a motor chopper for thepump circuit.

As an alternative to providing direct current the method can compriseproviding alternating current AC voltage to the pump.

Preferably, the method comprises operating the pump at a reduced voltagelevel comprises decreasing the root mean square (RMS) value of theapplied voltage.

Alternatively, the method comprises operating the pump at a reducedvoltage level comprises decreasing the peak value of the voltage.

According to another aspect the present invention relates to a beverageproduction module comprising a pump for delivering a fluid from a tankto an extraction chamber, a power source for the pump and a controllerfor operating the pump and for controlling the voltage applied from thepower source to the pump, wherein the controller is adapted to start theoperation of the pump at a reduced voltage level and after a predefinedtime to operate the pump at a normal operation voltage.

Preferably, the controller is adapted to operate the pump at saidreduced voltage level for less than 10 s.

According to another aspect the present invention relates to a methodfor operating the pump of a beverage production module, comprising thesteps of providing a power source for the pump, delivering via the pumpa fluid from a tank to a extraction chamber and at the beginning of saidstep of delivering operating the pump at a reduced voltage level andafter a predefined time operating the pump at a normal operationvoltage.

Preferably, the predefined time is less than 10 s.

Further features, advantages and objects of the present invention willbecome evident by means of the figures of the enclosed drawings as wellas by the following detailed explanation of illustrative-onlyembodiments of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a beverage production module according to the presentinvention,

FIG. 2 shows a schematic block diagram of the main elements of abeverage production module according to the present invention,

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the development of the pump voltage over thetime,

FIG. 4A is a flow chart showing the process steps according to the mainidea underlying the present invention,

FIG. 4B is a flow chart showing the steps according to a 10 firstpossibility when using AC voltage,

FIG. 4C is a flow chart showing the steps according to a secondpossibility when using AC voltage,

FIG. 5A is a diagram showing the development of the AC voltage over timeaccording to the first possibility as explained in FIG. 4B,

FIG. 5B is a diagram showing the development of the AC 20 voltage overtime according to the second possibility as explained in FIG. 4C,

FIG. 6 shows the pump circuit when using AC voltage, and

FIGS. 7A and 7B show different possibilities of a pump circuit whenusing DC voltage.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows a beverage production module according to the presentinvention, generally designated with reference numeral 1, whichcomprises a casing 7 which houses further components or to which furthercomponents are attached.

The beverage production module 1 comprises a beverage delivery outletvia which a beverage produced by the beverage production module 1 anddelivered to the beverage delivery outlet by a pump 3 can be obtained.On the rear side of the casing 7 a water supply reservoir or watercontainer 5 can be provided.

On the front side of the beverage production module 1 a base part can beprovided. The base part can essentially have a shape of ahalf-cylindrical platform. The base part can comprise a drip tray 8 andthe upper surface of the base part can serve as a cup support 9 in theregion which is essentially arranged vertically below the beveragedelivery outlet. The drip tray 8 can serve for collecting liquiddripping from the beverage delivery outlet.

The beverage production module can comprise further a catchment tank 10for collecting capsules which have been used and which droppedinternally after the beverage has been delivered.

The base part comprising the drip tray 8 and the cup support 9 can beremovably attached to the casing 7. Alternatively, the entire componentconsisting of the drip tray 8, the cup support 9 and the catchment tank10 can be attached revovably to the casing 7 in order to rinse or emptythe drip tray 8 and to empty the catchment tank 10.

Inside the casing 7, the beverage production module 1 can comprise awater pump 3, a water heating unit 2 such as for example a thermo blockor a boiler as well as an extraction chamber 13. The pump 3 is adaptedto pump water or any other fluid contained in the tank 5 to theextraction chamber 13 where the beverage then is prepared. The waterwhich is pumped from the tank 5 to the extraction chamber 13 is heatedby the water heating unit 2. Thus, the beverage production module 1 iscapable of producing a heated, preferably pressurised liquid and then tofeed it into the extraction chamber 13 in order to prepare a beverage ina cup or glass.

The pump 3 and the heating unit 2 as well as further components housedin the casing 7 are not visible from the outside and are therefore shownwith dashed lines in the figures.

The extraction chamber 13 can be designed to house a beverage ingredientcontaining pouch or capsule, which can be inserted through a capsuleinserting slot 12 on the top surface of the casing 7 when lifting oropening a leaver or lid arranged on the top surface of the casing 7. Theleaver or lid functions also as activator 4 for mechanically orautomatically clamping the capsule and starting the preparation process.Heated water, preferably under pressure, will then be injected into thecapsule in order to interact with the ingredients contained therein.

The beverage production module 1 can furthermore be provided with agraphical interface 11 such as for example a display, a touch pad or thelike in order to allow the control of the operation of the beverageproduction module.

In addition, the beverage production module 1 can comprise further userinterfaces, such as for example switches or buttons 6 and so on tofurther control the operation of the module 1.

With reference to FIG. 2 the main components of a beverage productionmodule 1 according to the present invention will be explained inrelation to the block diagram. It is to be noted that the beverageproduction module 1 comprises further elements and components necessaryfor carrying out the functionalities, which are not shown in the figurefor the sake of clarity.

As already explained a beverage production module 1 comprises a tank 5containing the liquid, fluid or water which is used for preparing thebeverage. A pump 3 is adapted to deliver liquid from the tank 5 to theheating unit 2 and further to the extraction chamber 13, into which thecapsule can be inserted. A power source 17 is provided which deliverspower to the pump 3 and the heating unit 2. The power source 17 may beconnected also to further components which in the block diagram is notshown for the sake of clarity. Alternatively, different power sourcesfor the heating unit 2 and the pump 3 may be provided.

The power source 17 is connected to the pump 3 via a pump triac 16 andis further connected to the heating unit 2 via a heating triac 15. Theheating triac 15 and the pump triac 16 are adapted to block parts of thevoltage which are applied from the power source 17 to the pump 3 and theheating unit 2. For example, when an alternating current (AC) voltage isprovided by the power source 17, then the heating triac 15 and the pump16 will block the negative part of the voltage sinus, the triac thusacting as a rectifier.

In addition, a controller 14 is provided for controlling the differentcomponents of the beverage production module 1. Specifically, thecontroller 14 controls the operation of the pump 3, the heating unit 2,and the triacs 15 and 16.

FIG. 3 shows a diagram of the pump voltage over the time. Hereby, acoordinate system is shown, whereby on the x-axis the time t is shownand on the y-axis the pump voltage, that is the voltage which is appliedto the pump 3 is shown.

With reference to FIG. 3, the main idea underlying the present inventionwill now be explained. In the normal operation mode, the pump 3 isoperated with a normal operation voltage U₃. This voltage may either bethe supply voltage of the electricity network to which the beverageproduction module 1 is connected or may be any other voltage which isintended for operating the pump, that voltage may e.g. be obtained bytransforming the supply voltage to the desired voltage for operating thepump. The controller 14 according to the present invention is adapted tocontrol the pump triac 16 or other components in a way to operate thepump 3 at voltages which are smaller than the normal operation voltageU₃. Specifically, the pump 3 can be operated over a predefined time at avoltage which is smaller than the normal operation voltage U₃.

Hereby, two different scenarios are possible. As shown in FIG. 3 at astarting time T_(s) the pump 3 is started. This may e.g. be triggered bya user pressing a button when he desires to make a coffee or byswitching on the beverage production module 1. When starting theoperation of the pump 3 at the starting time Ts the controller mayoperate the pump 3 at a voltage U₁ which is smaller than the normaloperation voltage U₃. Within a predefined time T₁ the voltage U₁ is thenincreased until the normal operation voltage U₃ is reached. Hereby, thepresent invention is not limited to the example as shown in FIG. 3. Theincreasing of the voltage from U₁ to U₃ may be linear, exponential,logarithmic or the like. Further, it is also possible to maintain thevoltage U₁ over the whole time T₁ and then suddenly switch to the normaloperation voltage U₃. The advantage of starting the operation of thepump 3 with a lower voltage than the normal operation voltage U₃ is adecreased noise of the pump 3. The pump 3 specifically in the firstseconds after being started is louder since during this period the firstamount of water is pumped into the capsule.

It is to be noted that the voltage U₁ may refer to a constant voltage,to an increasing voltage or to a voltage being partly constant andpartly increasing. In any case U₁ has just to satisfy the conditionU₁<U₃. In FIG. 3 the example is shown, that U₁ is a linearly increasingvoltage. With dashed lines other types of increase are shown. Thevoltage U₁, i.e. a voltage being smaller than the normal operationvoltage U₃ is kept for a time T₁ after the start of the pump 3.

Normally, the pump within the first five seconds after the start of acoffee is louder. According to the present invention within this periodthe noise reduction is achieved by dimming the pump. “To dim” means toreduce the intensity of something. This word is normally used in thelighting, connected with the reduction of the intensity of a lightsource. In the present case to dim is intended to mean to reduce thevoltage applied to the pump.

According to a further aspect of the present invention during theoperation of the pump, whereby the pump 3 is operated with the normaloperation voltage U₃, the pump may be dimmed for a predefined timeperiod. As shown in FIG. 3 the pump voltage may be decreased to avoltage level U₂ for a predefined time T₂. Hereby, the decreasing fromU₃ to U₂ may be linear, exponential or even suddenly.

Again it is to be noted that the voltage U₂ may refer to a constantvoltage, to a decreasing and/or increasing voltage or to a voltage beingpartly constant and partly decreasing and/or increasing. In any case U₂has just to satisfy the condition U₂<U₃. In FIG. 3 the example is shown,that U₂ is a linearly decreasing, kept constant for a while and thenincreasing again.

The advantage of dimming the pump 3 during the normal operation is thatthereby the flow and pressure of the pump 3 can be regulated.Specifically, when reducing the voltage also the amount of liquid whichis delivered by the pump from the tank 5 to the extraction chamber 13 isreduced, e.g. the ratio of liquid per time is decreased. This is forexample important for the quality of the coffee, the so called “in cupquality”. Sometimes, the ingredients contained within the capsule are sosolvent that the heating unit 2 is not able to heat all the liquidpumped by the pump 3 from the tank 5 to the extraction chamber 13. Inthis case, it is advantageous to reduce the amount of liquid per timedelivered by the pump 3.

Another example is the so-called “crema” of the coffee. The crema is asign for a high quality coffee and depends on the pressure applied whendelivering the liquid into the capsule within the extraction chamber 13.By controlling the voltage applied to the pump 3 also the pressure ofthe pump 3 can be controlled and thereby the creation of the crema canbe controlled and enhanced.

Further, U₁ and U₂ may be equal or different voltage ranges, whereby thepresent invention is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 3, wherethe voltage range of U₁ is larger than the voltage range of U₂.

It is to be noted that the normal operation voltage of the pump 3 may bereduced just once, i.e. either at the beginning of the operation of thepump 3 or in-between the operation of the pump 3. A further possibilitywould also be to reduce the voltage a t the end of the pump operation.

FIG. 4A shows a flow chart showing the process steps according to themain idea of the present invention. The process starts in step S0 e.g.with switching on the beverage production module 1 or with starting thepreparation of a coffee. The pump 3 is then activated with a voltagevalue U₁. In the next step S2 the pump voltage is increased to thenormal pump operation voltage U₃. As previously explained differentmethods of operating the pump with the lower voltage or increasing thevoltage are possible. The pump then in step S3 is operated with thenormal voltage U₃. In the next step S₄ the pump voltage can be decreasedto a value U₂ being smaller than the normal operation voltage U₃. In thefurther step the pump can be operated for a predefined time with thevoltage U₂.

In the next step S6 the pump voltage is increased again to the normaloperation value U3 and the pump in step S7 is operated with the normalvoltage value U₃. The process ends in step S8 for example with thedelivery of the beverage from the beverage production module 1 or withswitching off the beverage production module 1. It is to be noted thatthe step S₁ can be omitted and that the process can from the beginningstart with a normal operation voltage value of U₃. Alternatively, thesteps S₄ to S6 can be omitted and the pump voltage can be reduced onlyduring the start sequence. A further possibility is to reduce thevoltage additionally or exclusively at the end of the operation of thepump 3.

In the following different embodiments for reducing the pump voltagewill be explained with reference to the figures.

FIGS. 4B, 4C, 5A and 5B relate to an embodiment where alternatingcurrent (AC) voltage is used. Hereby, FIGS. 4B and 5A relate to a firstpossibility of reducing the voltage applied to the pump 3 when using ACcurrent.

In FIG. 5A a first diagram is shown showing the voltage delivered by thepower source 17 over the time t. The voltage hereby corresponds to asinus curve. In the first diagram the zero crossing point of the voltageis marked. In the normal operation mode the controller 14 operates thepump triac 16 in a way that the triac is triggered together with thezero crossing of the voltage so that the positive part of the voltage isapplied to the pump and the negative part of the voltage is blocked bythe triac 16. In order to decrease the voltage applied to the pump, thepump triac 16 is not triggered at the zero crossing of the voltage buttriggered at a predefined time T_(triac) after the zero crossing of thevoltage. This is shown in the second diagram of FIG. 5A where thetriggering moments of the pump triac are shown over the time. Forincreasing the crossing and the triggering of the pump, that is the timeT_(triac) is decreased with every voltage cycle, until the differencebetween the zero crossing and the triggering is zero. Alternatively, thedifference between the zero crossing and the triggering can bemaintained fixed for a predefined time range and then suddenly for thenext voltage cycle set to zero. The advantage of slowly increasing thevoltage is that thereby problems relating to electromagneticalcompatibility can be avoided.

For a better understanding the steps as shown in FIG. 5A will beexplained with reference to the flow chart shown in FIG. 4B. The processis started in step S10, e.g. with switching on the beverage productionmodule 1 or with starting the preparation of a beverage. In the nextstep Sil, the pump triac 16 is triggered at a predefined time T_(triac)after zero crossing of the voltage. In the next step S12 which isrepeated several times the difference between the zero crossing and thetriggering is decreased over a predefined time range until T_(triac) iszero. In the next step S13, the pump is then operated normally whiletriggering the pump triac 16 at the zero crossing of the voltage. Theprocess ends in step S14, e.g. with switching off the beverageproduction module.

The advantage of this method is that no further hardware components arenecessary for implementing the inventive method. Since during normaloperation mode the negative part of the voltage sinus is already blockedand the pump triac 16 is already provided, the changed triggering timeof the pump triac 16 is only a matter of software implementation and nospecial hardware is necessary.

A further possibility of reducing the AC voltage applied to the pumpwould be to use a reduced maximum voltage value. This will be explainedin detail in the following. Generally, a voltage having a sinusoidalcurve can be described with the following equation:

U(t)=U _(max)sin(ωt+φ ₀)

U_(max) designates the peak value of the voltage and φ₀ designates thezero phase angle of the voltage. The angular frequency ω can be derivedfrom

ω=2πf,

whereby f is the frequency.

According to the further idea of the present invention, the voltageapplied to the pump can also be reduced by reducing the peak valueU_(max) of the voltage. This is shown for example in FIG. 5B. Here asinusoidal voltage curve is shown over the time. Hereby the voltagestarts with a peak value U_(max1) and during several wave cycles isincreased to a further peak value U_(max2). Hereby, in the Figure thesinus voltage with the peak value U_(max2) is shown with dashed lines.The actual voltage used for the operation of the pumped is shown asdrawn through line. There from it can be seen that the actual useddecreased voltage converges the normal operation voltage having the peakvalue U_(max2).

The steps of this process are also shown in the flow chart of FIG. 4C.Hereby, in accordance with FIGS. 4A and 4B, the process starts in stepS20. In the next step S21 the pump 3 is operated with a peak value ofthe voltage U_(max1). In the next step S22 which is repeated severaltimes the voltage U_(max1) is increased to the maximum voltage value ofU_(max2). In the further step S23 the pump 3 is then operated with thepeak value of the voltage Um2 and the process in step S24 ends forexample with switching off the beverage production module.

As previously explained, the voltage can also be suddenly increased orcan be increased linearly, exponentially, logarithmically or in anyother way. The advantage of slowly increasing the voltage is thatcompatibility problems between different components can be avoided.

Advantageously, the pump 3 is an inductive component, e.g. a solenoidpump. In case that a pump is an inductive load then of importance is notthe maximum applied voltage U_(max) but more the integral of the appliedvoltage since the current is delayed after the voltage curve. As shownin FIG. 5A with triggering the triac after a predefined time after thezero crossing, the integral of the applied voltage can be changed. Incase of an inductive load pump no further filters or components arerequired and electromagnetic compatibility problems can be avoided.

Alternatively, also other types of pumps can be used, in 25 which casean additional filter could be provided in order to avoid compatibilityproblems.

FIG. 6 is an exemplary embodiment of an electric circuit for the pump.In the electric circuit 18 a power source 17 is provided to which thepump 3, the heating unit 2, the heater triac 15 and the pump triac 16are connected. In the circuit further the controller 14 is providedcomprising a micro controlling unit 19. The controller triggers thetriacs 15, 16 of the pump 3 and the heating unit 2 in order to controlthe applied voltage. In case that the pump 3 is not an inductive loadadditional filters 20 a, 20 b can be provided.

In an alternative embodiment instead of alternating current (AC) voltagealso direct current (DC) voltage can be used. Two exemplary circuits areshown in FIGS. 7A and 7B. Hereby, after the power source 17 a rectifier23 is provided for rectifying the alternating current voltage from thepower source 17.

In FIG. 7A hereby a circuit using the rectifier 23 and a buck converter21 is shown. In the circuit a polarised condensator 24, a switch 25, adiode 26, a coil 27 and a condensator 28 is provided for controlling thevoltage applied to the pump 3.

In the example shown in FIG. 7B, the rectifier 23 and a motor chopper 22is provided for controlling the pump 3.

The electric circuit includes a polarised condensator 24, a switch 25and a diode 26.

When operating the pump 3 at a reduced voltage, the chosen voltage hasto satisfy several needs. On one hand, the voltage has to be high enoughto ensure a proper operation of the pump 3. On the other hand, thevoltage has to be small enough in order to achieve the desiredfunctions, e.g. a noise reduction or a reduced flow per time of theliquid. In case that the normal operation voltage of the pump isapproximately 230V, a good compromise is a reduced voltage of 170V. Thiswould correspond to an integral value of 73%.

REFERENCE SIGNS

-   (1) Beverage production module-   (2) Heating unit-   (3) Pump-   (4) Activator-   (5) Tank-   (6) Button-   (7) Casing-   (8) Drip tray-   (9) Cup support-   (10) Catchment tank-   (11) Graphical interface-   (12) Capsule insertion slot-   (13) Extraction chamber-   (14) Controller-   (15) Heater triac-   (16) Pump triac-   (17) Power source-   (18) DC electric circuit-   (19) Micro controlling unit-   (20) Filter-   (21) Buck converter-   (22) Motor chopper-   (23) Rectifier-   (24) Polarised condensator-   (25) Switch-   (26) Diode-   (27) Coil-   (28) Condensator

The invention is claimed as follows: 1: A beverage production modulecomprising: a pump configured to deliver a fluid from a reservoir to aheating unit in the module and then to an extraction chamber in themodule, the extraction chamber configured to house a pouch or capsulethat contains a beverage ingredient; a power source configured to applya voltage to the pump, the power source is connected to the pump by apump triac; and a controller configured to operate the pump and theheating unit and control the pump triac to thereby control the voltageapplied from the power source to the pump; a casing that houses thepump, the heating unit, the extraction chamber, the power source, andthe controller, wherein the casing comprises a surface comprising a slotconfigured for insertion of the pouch or capsule through the slot; and agraphical user interface attached to the casing, wherein the controlleris configured to control the pump triac to operate the pump after astart at a first reduced voltage level; after a first predefined time,to control the pump triac to operate the pump at a normal operationvoltage; and, during the operation of the pump, to control the pumptriac to operate the pump for a second predefined time at a secondreduced voltage level to enhance the quality of the beverage that isproduced by the module. 2: The beverage production module of claim 1wherein at least one of the first and second reduced voltage levels is aconstant voltage. 3: The beverage production module of claim 1 whereinat least one of the first and second reduced voltage levels is adecreasing or increasing voltage. 4: The beverage production module ofclaim 1 further comprising a heating triac by which the power source isconnected to the heating unit. 5: The beverage production module ofclaim 4 comprising an electric circuit that comprises the power source,the pump, the heating unit, the pump triac, and the heating triac. 6:The beverage production module of claim 5 wherein the pump is aninductive component. 7: The beverage production module of claim 5wherein the pump is not inductive, and the electric circuit comprisesadditional filters. 8: The beverage production module of claim 5 whereinthe electric circuit receives alternating current (AC) voltage from thepower source, comprises a first branch comprising the heating unit andthe heating triac, and comprises a second branch comprising the pump andthe pump triac. 9: The beverage production module of claim 5, furthercomprising a rectifier configured to receive alternating current (AC)voltage from the power source and provide direct current (DC) voltage tothe electric circuit. 10: The beverage production module of claim 9,wherein the electric circuit further comprises a polarized condensatoron a first branch of the circuit, a coil on a second branch of thecircuit, a switch between the first branch and the second branch, anadditional condensator on a third branch of the circuit, and a diodebetween the second branch and the third branch, wherein the pump ispositioned in a fourth branch of the circuit. 11: The beverageproduction module of claim 9, wherein the electric circuit furthercomprises a polarized condensator on a first branch of the circuit, aswitch on a second branch of the circuit that also comprises the pump,and a diode on a third branch of the circuit. 12: The beverageproduction module of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured tocontrol the pump triac to operate the pump to enhance the quality of thebeverage that is produced by the module. 13: The module of claim 1,wherein the controller is configured to increase the voltage from thefirst reduced voltage level to the normal operation voltage using avoltage increase that is selected from the group consisting of a linearincrease, an exponential increase, and a logarithmic increase. 14: Amethod of preparing a beverage using a pump that delivers a fluid from atank to an extraction chamber and a power source that applies a voltageto the pump, the method comprising: operating the pump at a firstreduced voltage level after a start of a pump operation; operating thepump at a normal operation voltage after a first predefined time; andoperating the pump for a second predefined time at a second reducedvoltage level during the pump operation. 15: A beverage productionmodule comprising: a pump configured to deliver a fluid from a tank toan extraction chamber; a power source configured to apply a voltage tothe pump; and a controller configured to control the voltage appliedfrom the power source to the pump, operate the pump at a first reducedvoltage level after starting a pump operation, operate the pump at anormal operation voltage after a first predefined time, and maintain thevoltage at not less than the normal operation voltage until the pumpoperation ends. 16: The module of claim 15, wherein the controller isconfigured to operate the pump at the first reduced voltage level forless than 10 s. 17: The module of claim 15, wherein the controller isconfigured to increase the voltage from the first reduced voltage levelto the normal operation voltage using a voltage increase that isselected from the group consisting of a linear increase, an exponentialincrease, and a logarithmic increase. 18: The module of claim 15,wherein the controller is configured to maintain the voltage at thefirst reduced voltage level for the first predefined time. 19: Themodule of claim 15, wherein the pump operation ends at a time selectedfrom the group consisting of (i) delivery of a beverage from the moduleand (ii) switching off the module. 20: A method of preparing a beverageusing a pump that delivers a fluid from a tank to an extraction chamberand a power source that applies a voltage to the pump, the methodcomprising: operating the pump at a first reduced voltage level after astart of a pump operation; operating the pump at a normal operationvoltage after a first predefined time; and maintaining the voltage atnot less than the normal operation voltage until the pump operationends.